Arkéa-Samsic have boosted their line-up with the signing of talented young Ukrainian and former National Champion Andrii Ponomar for 2023.
Ponomar is currently with Italian squad Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli, forming part of their Giro d’Italia line-up last summer and completing the Grand Tour for a second straight year.
“Signing with Arkéa-Samsic is a very important moment for me, because that way I am joining a UCI WorldTour team,” the 20-year-old said in a team press release.
“That will effectively give me the opportunity, from 2023 onwards, to discover top races on the international calendar. I’m still young, and even if I’ve ridden two Giros I consider myself to still be in a learning phase of my career.”
“I think I can get on podiums and win races, with the pros, and hopefully from next season, but that will definitely not be at WorldTour level yet, we’re talking about lower-category races.”
Describing himself as an all-rounder, Ponomar said that his ability to handle climbs from seven to 10 kilometres in length, along with strong showings against the watch, should enable him to shine in stage races.
“He’s just 20 but he’s definitely one of the new young hopefuls of professional cycling,” added Emmanuel Hubert, Arkéa-Samsic team manager. “He’s already shone on our home soil in Brittany, most notably in the Trophee Centre Morbihan, where he took a stage during the 2019 race.”
“He was also Junior European Champion, one year after Remco Evenepoel.”
Hubert was at pains to say Ponomar’s personal background was also worthy of admiration. His father was currently fighting against the Russian invasion in Ukraine, and his mother and sister were currently forced to leave the country and were living with Andrii Ponomar in Italy.
“We have all been impressed by the strength of character which Andrii Ponomar is showing in this situation. We have a great deal of respect for him.”
Ponomar’s fomer Drone Hopper-Androni squad, meanwhile, is set to drop to Continental level in 2023. Manager Gianni Savio has expressed hope that the team can find sufficient backing to return to ProTeam status in 2024.
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